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This Isn’t CSI

Estimating the National Backlog of Forensic DNA Cases and the Barriers Associated With Case Processing

Michael J. Gaffney

Nicholas P. Lovrich

Charles L. Johnson

Washington State University

The increasing application of forensic DNA analysis in the criminal justice system has led to considerable public debate. Such discussions typically center on either its use for identifying criminal offenders (and for exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted) or legal questions concerning the proper scope of DNA evidence collection. Currently missing from these debates is an accurate estimate of the national backlog of cases that might benefit from the application of forensic DNA analysis. The authors estimate this backlog using data gathered from a nationally representative sample of local law enforcement agencies and from the total population of both state and local crime laboratories. The authors document the primary barriers identified by these agencies to the expanded use of forensic DNA analysis in the processing of criminal cases. The authors conclude with a discussion of the implications for the continued support of and increased access to forensic DNA testing by law enforcement agencies.

Key Words: forensic DNA • biological evidence • cold cases

Criminal Justice Policy Review, Vol. 17, No. 1, 32-47 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0887403405278815


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